Rear-hinged drop shelf mechanism for vending machine



E. B. OFFUTT 3,409,171 REAR-HINGE?) DROP SHELF MECHANISM FOR VENDINGMACHINE Nov. 5, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 7, 1967 E. B. OFFUTT3,409,] 71

HINGED DROP SHELF MECHANISM FOR VENDING MACHINE Nov. 5, 1968 REAR 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 7, 1967 INVENTOR E/mefl rad/ey Gffuff UnitedStates Patent 3,409,171 REAR-HINGED DROP SHELF MECHANISM FOR VENDINGMACHINE Elmer Bradley Otfutt, Independence, Mo., assignor to The VendoCompany, Kansas City, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Filed Sept. 7,1967, Ser. No. 666,125 6 Claims. (Cl. 221-90) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREA drop shelf vending machine having a series of vertically spacedshelves swingable about horizontal, vertically aligned axes at therearmost ends of the shelves. Each shelf has a swingable, spring-loadedlatch cooper-able with a corresponding keeper of a common control tubewhich is oscillated about a vertical axis and located behind the stackof shelves. A locking lug on all but the top shelf cooperates with alatch extension on the shelf next above to normally hold the shelveshorizontal. Each keeper has two stops and a camming surface whichoperate sequentially to release the shelves successively from bottom totop when the control tube is actuated.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a dropshelf vending machine having locking and latching means arranged topreclude discharge of more than one article during each cycle ofoperation regardless of normal tampering efforts to release a number ofaddition-a1 shelves simultaneously.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a shelf unit of a vending machineembodying the rear-hinged drop shelf mechanism of my present invention,showing various positions of the shelves, parts being broken away forclearness;

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the unit shown in FIG. 1, parts being brokenaway to reveal details of construction;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the shelf unit;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the shelf unit;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on line 55 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is'a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 4 showing certain parts atthe opposite ends of their path of travel;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 5 showing a different position ofcertain parts;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on line 8-8 of FIG.2; and

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary, elevational view of one of the shelves showingthat side of its latch opposite to the side shown in FIG. 1.

One of a plurality of side-by-side, vending machine shelf units is shownin FIGS. 1 and 2 and designated broadly by the numeral 10. Shelves 12are supported by sides 14 of an upright channel 16 for vertical swingingmovement about opposed pintles 18 integral with shelves 12. A tubularcontrol device 20 at the rear of shelves 12, behind pintles 18, andwithin channel 16, is carried by the top 22 and bottom 24 of channel 16for oscillation about its vertical axis.

Each shelf 12 has a pair of downwardly offset, generally triangularrearwardly extending wings 26, the pintles 18 being at the rearmostcorners of wings 26. Wings 26 are joined by a bridge 28 below the levelof shelf 12, and lock means in the nature of a wedge-shaped lug 30extends upwardly from bridge 28.

An ear 32 below bridge 28 and extending rearwardly therefrom swingablyreceives a latch 34. Each latch 34 has upper and lower hinge plates 36and 38 which receive 3,409,171 Patented Nov. 5, 1 968 a tubular hingepin 40 passing through ear 32. A first angled portion 42 of latch 34extends upwardly and rearwardly from plates 36 and 38, merging into asecond portion 44 which angles laterally and rearwardly from portion 42and terminates in a small finger 46 that is normally parallel to theaxis of swinging movement of shelf 12.

On that side of plates 36 and 38 opposite to portion 42, each latch hasa forwardly extending stretch 48 which is yieldably held biased againstcar 32 by a spring 50. A lateral offset 52 from stretch 48 terminates ina downwardly and forwardly inclined extension 54 below lug 30 having achisel-shaped end 56 well below the bridge 28.

Extension 54 is normally in spaced parallelism to a plate 58 integralwith and depending from bridge 28.

Spring 50 is looped around a hook 60 extending upwardly from stretch 48,has one end thereof extending into pin 40 and has its opposite endlooped over the rear edge of bridge 28 along which it slides.

Tube 20 has a keeper 62 for each latch 34 respectively in the nature ofan opening that cuts away substantially half of the tube 20. The upperedge 64 of keeper 62 presents a stop for the finger 46; the outerarcuate surface of a step 66 in the keeper 62 presents a cam for theportion 44 of latch 34; and the lower edge 68 of step 66 presents a stopfor the portion 44 of latch 34.

Tube 20 is oscillated by a push-pull lever 70 having a pin 72 slidablein slot 74 of bottom 24, spring 76 yieldably holding lever 70 in theposition shown in FIG. 3. A plate 78, swingable on bottom 24 by pin 80,has a Y-shaped slot provided with two branches 82 and 84 whichalternately receive pin 72. A stud 86 on plate 78 passes through arcuatehole 88 in bottom 24 and is received by a yoke 90 rigid to tube 20.

Sold out mechanism, operable when the top shelf 12a has swung to itsarticle discharge position, includes a lever 92 swingable downwardly onchannel member 16 to the position shown in FIG. 8. Lever 92 is normallyheld at its upper position by a projection 94 on shelf 12a engaging alateral car 96 on lever 92. When projection 94 is received in concave 98of lever 92, rod 100 descends to actuate another lever 102 to a positionwhere it blocks lever 70 by falling in front of an upturned ear 104 atthe rearmost end of lever 70.

Operation The shelves 12 are all normally horizontal (as shown in FIG. 1with respect to shelf 12a) supporting articles 106. The lowermost shelf12b is the first to discharge its article 106, the article 106a beingshown in FIG. 1 gravitating from the third shelf 120.

Each shelf 12, except the lower shelf 12b, is normally held horizontalby virtue of the extension 54 of its latch 34 engaging the front face ofthe lug 30 of the shelf next below. Shelf 12b is normally held slightlyinclined (as shown in FIG. 1 with respect to shelf 12d) by its latch 34,i.e. the portion 44 of the latter engaging the corresponding edge 68 ofthe keeper 62 associated with shelf 12b.

Thus when an article 106 is to be discharged from shelf 12b, lever 70 ispulled forwardly against the action of spring 76. Pin 72 moves alongslot 74 and branch 82 until it enters branch 84. This causes plate 78 toswing on pin from the position shown in FIG. 4 to the position shown inFIG. 6. Stud 86 swings yoke to rotate tube 20 clockwise viewing FIG. 3.

This moves edges 68 of all keepers 62 out of overlying relationship toportions 44, but only shelf 12b is effected because all of the remainingshelves are being held by latch extensions 54 and lugs 30. Shelf 12btilts to a slightly greater angle as its latch finger 46 swings up intoengagement with edge 64 of the corresponding keeper 62.

When lever 70 is released to return tube 20 to the normal stand-byposition of FIG 1, the cam 66 of the lowermost keeper 62 engages portion44 of the lowermost latch 34. This forces the portion 46 from beneathedge 64, permitting shelf 12b to drop to its article discharge position.

Each time a shelf 12 is so dropped, the shelf next above is no longersupported by the lug 30 therebelow. Note in FIG. 1 that the lug 30 ofshelf 120 has slipped from behind the latch extension 54 of shelf 12d.--Since shelf 12d is no longer supported by lug 30 of shelf 12c it tiltsslightly until its latch portion 44 engages the proximal edge 68.Therefore, no shelf 12 can swing toits article discharge position untillever 70 is pulled. outwardly to the position shown in FIG. 6 becauseedge 68 must first be retracted from above latch portion 44 and finger46 must move into engagement-with edge 64. This raises latch portion 44to a position where it can be cammed outwardly by step of'the keeper 62against spring 50 on the return stroke of lever 70 by the action ofspring 76.

All shelves 12 except shelf 12b assume four positions, ie, thehorizontal (held by lugs 30 and latch extension) the first incline (heldby portions 44 engaging edges 68) the second incline (held by fingers 46engaging edges 64) and the fully inclined, article discharge position.Shelf 12b assumes all but the horizontal position. Thus, during eachstroke of the lever 70 only one article 106 can be discharged and it isimpossible to maneuver the lever 70 to cause vending of successivearticles 106 before lever 70 is returned to its stand-by position. As anadded precaution, the plates 58 make it difficult to insert a wire orthe like into the machine so as to shift the extensions 54 and therebyswing latches about their hinge pins 40.

Prior to reloading the operator pulls upwardly on the shelves 12 attheir forwardmost ends, starting with the shelf 12b. As he sweeps hishand upwardly, successively raising the shelves 12, extensions 54 yield,because of springs 50, to cause lugs 30 to slip in behind the extensions54. Latches 34 snap into the keepers 62 automatically and it is notpossible for shelves to support articles 106 until such snap-in takesplace. This also precludes the possibility of vending multiple articles106 by a single stroke of lever 70.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a vending machine;

a stack of shelves individually mounted at one end thereof for swingingmovement from a generally horizontal article supporting position to aninclined article discharge position,

each shelf except the uppermost shelf having lock means, releasable uponmovement to said article discharge position, for normally holding thenext adjacent shelf thereabove in said article supporting position;

a shiftable latch on each shelf respectively; and

a movable control device common to the shelves and provided with akeeper :for each latch respectively,

each keeper being provided with a latch stop and a latch releaseelement,

each stop being disposed to hold the corresponding shelf againstswinging movement to the article discharge position when engaged by theproximal latch,

the latch of the lowermost shelf normally engaging the stop of thecorresponding keeper,

,each of the remaining shelves moving its latch into engagement with thecorresponding stops upon release of the lock means next therebelow, 7

each element being disposed to release the corresponding latch after thelatter moves into engagement with its stop upon movement of said devicethrough a predetermined path of travel.

2. The-invention of claim 1; v

each keeper having-a second latch stop disposed for engagement by thecorresponding latch upon. movement of said devicein one direction,

said elements being operable upon returnmovement .of said device in theopposite direction.

3. The invention of claim 2; I

said device comprising an elongated, upright member mounted foroscillation about its upright axis,

, each keeper including a latch-receiving opening having edgespresenting said stops thereof.

4. The invention of claim 3;

said element of each keeper comprising a cam surface on the memberadjacent the corresponding stop,

said surface engaging the latch to force the same out of the openingduring return movement of the member whereby to release its shelf formovement to the article-discharge position.

5. The invention of claim 1;

each lock means comprising a normally upstanding lug rigid to the shelfadjacent its axis of swinging movement,

each latch except the lowermost latch having an extension normallyengaging the lug of the shelf next below.

6. The invention of claim 5;

each latch being spring loaded for yieldably holding the same in itskeeper,

the extension being shiftable against the action of the spring forclearing the proximal lug when the shelves are returned to theirarticle, supporting position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,884,163 4/ 1959 DuGrenier et al221- 3,125,244 3/1964 Holstein 221 -90 3,126,124 3/1964 Katz et al 121903,137,411 6/1964 Bailey 12l90 3,161,319 12/1964 Holstein et al 221-90 XSAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner.

